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    Allergen/Asthma Trigger Screening

    Get to know your indoor neighbors before you buy.

      COMMONLY INHALED ALLERGENS                      

Allergen screen includes:

Dust Mite Allergen (2 types)
Cat Allergen
Dog Allergen
German Cockroach Allergen

*Additional allergen analyses are available.  Please Call for Details. 

About Allergens and testing

Did you know?

• EPA ranks indoor air pollution amoung the top FIVE environmental risks to
  public health.

• According to the American College of Allergists, 50 percent of all illnesses
  are either caused by, or aggravated by, polluted indoor air.
• Exposure to dust mites, cat saliva, animal dander and mold is estimated to
  cause at least 200,000 emergency room visits by asthma patients each year.
• 42,000 dust mites can live in 1 ounce of dust.

There are many different contaminants in indoor enviroments that can cause or aggravate
allergies.  Dust, for example, can contain a multitude of allergens including dust mites,
animal dander, and mold spores.  A major reservoir for collecting and holding dust in
indoor environments is carpet.  The American Conference of Governmental Industrial
Hygienists (ACGIH) lists carpet as one of the nine potential sources of biological agents in
an occupied space (Bioaerosols: Assessment and Control, ACGIH 1999).
Unfortunately, common allergens often get overlooked in a routine evaluation of a building
for indoor environmental contaminants.

The International Association of Allergology and Clinical Immunology (IAACI)
recommends collecting settled dust to evaluate the exposure of occupants to common
allergens.  We use the DustChek^tm vacuum filtration device with a HEPA vac to collect a
composite sample from various areas of the house.  The collected dust is sent to an
Accredited laboratory where it can be analyzed for a variety of allergens.  Having dust
samples analyzed for potentially elevated levels of allergens is the first step in preventing
exposure and decreasing the risk of allergies for the occupants.

How much is too much?
Interpreting the Data

There are Threshold values that have been proposed from numerous studies on allergens
in dust.  These threshold values are levels at which there is an increased risk of allergy
sensitization or reactions in sensitized individuals.  Indoor levels should be less than the
levels specified in the chart below.

        Allergen                                      Proposed Threshold Value

Dust Mite (Der p 1)	2 micrograms/gram1
Dust Mite (der f 1)	2 micrograms/gram1
Cat (fel d 1)	8 micrograms/gram1
Dog (Can f 1)	10 micrograms/gram2
German Cockroach (Bla g 1)	2 units/gram2

The Leading Arizona Home Inspector for Arizona Home Inspections and Allergen Screening